Simpsons AU: If Homer Was A Better Person And Father
by Jedi Master 325
Summary: This takes place shortly after Bart is born. Seeing his newborn son for the first time, Homer decides to take the steps to become a better person and father instead of becoming the bitter, drunken, brainless oaf we all know and love.
1. Bond between Father and Son

**Jedi Master 325 here with my first Simpsons fanfic. I had a theory on what would have happened if Homer was a good person and father from the beginning. Anyways, enjoy! :)**

 **Summary:** This takes place shortly after Bart is born. Seeing his newborn son for the first time, Homer decides to take the steps to become a better person and father instead of becoming the bitter, drunken, brainless oaf we all know and love.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the Simpsons.

Chapter One

Homer Simpson looked down at the sleeping infant in his arms. Just hours ago, He had gotten the job that would provide a better life for him and his family and then blam! He had become the proud father of a beautiful baby boy. The baby's full name was Bartholomew J. Simpson. Homer gazed over at his lovely wife Marge. She was sleeping peacefully after being in labor for hours.

Homer looked down at little Bart and said to him, " Bart, no matter what life will bring you. Just know that your mommy and daddy will always love you no matter what." Homer smiled and placed Bart in the hospital bassinet by his mother's bed before drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, Homer took his wife and son home to their apartment. As they walked into the apartment, Marge took Bart out of his portable car seat and into the nursery where she laid him down in his crib for a nap. As she walked into the living room, she saw her husband reading the parenting books they had gotten before Bart was born.

" Homie, I'm surprised you're reading instead of drinking a beer and watching TV." Homer looked up at Marge and gave her a gentle, loving smile. " Marge, I want to prove to your sisters that I can be a good husband and father. I've never been good at anything before in my life, and I didn't have a good father when I was a boy. But, I'll be damned if I let this happen to Bart."

Marge was surprised to see that Homer had gone from the carefree, drunken oaf to becoming a better person and father. Later that day, She heard Bart crying in the nursery. When she walked in, she saw Homer sitting in the rocking chair, feeding Bart and then taking him over to change his diaper. Then laying Bart down in his crib, Homer gently sang him a lullaby.

Later that night, Homer was lying in bed with his wife who was already fast asleep. Homer kept thinking that the apartment wouldn't be an ideal choice to keep if he and Marge had another baby. But he decided that he'll wait until Bart was at least two years old.

Surprisingly, two years had flown by pretty fast. Homer had gotten promoted to safety inspector at the nuclear plant. Homer remembered the precious milestones of Bart's life that he recorded. He had been there when Bart had taken his first steps to Bart saying his first word which was " Daddy".

Homer then remembered the decision he made two years ago. He wanted his family to live in a nice house and not some run down apartment building. Walking into the apartment, Homer saw Marge sitting at the table and saw Bart watching Krusty the Clown on TV.

" Oh Homie, you're home. I've got some wonderful news." Marge said as she walked up and kissed her husband. " What is it Marge?" Homer said as he sat down. " Homie, we're gonna have another baby!" Marge said excitedly. homer felt like his heart would burst with joy. " Oh honey, that's wonderful! But we're gonna need to move out of this dump and into a house. Because Bart will need his own room once the baby comes." Homer said.

" Do you really think we can afford a house Homer?" Marge asked worriedly. " Don't worry Marge, I recently got promoted to Safety Inspector at the Nuclear Plant. With the money I make, we'll be able to afford a house." Homer said, reassuring his concerned wife. " Then it's settled Homie, we'll pack up everything and leave this place for good." Marge said happily.

 **And that is the end of chapter one. Leave a review and I will get chapter two posted here soon.**

 **-Jedi Master 325**


	2. Lisa's First Word

**Here's Chapter two. Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Two

The next morning, Homer and Marge dropped Bart off at his grandpa's house while they went to buy a house. Marge suggested that they leave Bart with Patty and Selma, but Homer didn't trust them. Because they never had any experience with children before and they were heavy smokers. Plus Abe always loved spending time with his grandson and Bart preferred spending time with his grandpa than his aunts.

After looking at three houses and a house boat, Homer and Marge found the house that they and their children would spend the rest of their lives living in. Thanks to Homer's promotion to Safety Inspector at the Nuclear Plant, they were able to afford the house. The next day, Homer packed up all of his family's belongings in a rental trailer and drove the stuff to their new home at 742 Evergreen Terrace.

Homer helped Mage out of the car first, then helped Bart out of his car seat. After getting everything unpacked and put in the right spots, Homer and Marge were having trouble trying to wean Bart from sleeping in the crib. " Bart, from now on the baby is gonna sleep in the crib." Marge said as she tried to get him to let go of the crib. " I'll handle this one Marge, you go and rest." Homer said as he gently pulled Bart onto his lap.

" Son, I know you don't want to give up the crib, but don't you wanna have your own room with a big-boy bed? If you give up the crib, daddy will buy you a big boy-bed with Krusty the Clown on it and matching sheets to go with it." Hearing the word Krusty mentioned, Bart smiled and said " Ok daddy." Homer smiled at his son. Then he took Bart with him to the furniture store to look at toddler beds.

Inside the store, Homer saw the perfect one for Bart. The headboard and footboard was blue and had Krusty the Clown's face on them. " How much for that bed?" Homer asked the clerk. " $200.00 and I can throw in a Krusty the Clown bedsheet set for an extra $10.00." The clerk said. Homer pulled out his credit card and loaded the bed into the car. After arriving home, Homer put the bed together in Bart's new bedroom and put the sheets and comforter on.

When Bart saw his new big-boy bed, his little face lit up with joy. " Well son, what do you think?" Homer asked with a smile on his face. " I love it daddy!" Bart said as he hugged his father. Homer smiled and hugged him back. Then they heard a knock at the door. Opening the door, Homer saw a man with brunette hair and a mustache with a boy of his own.

" Howdy neighbor, the name's Ned Flanders and this is my boy Todd." Ned said as he set his son down who immediately gave Bart a hug. Bart shoved him to the ground, not liking immediate hugs from strangers. " Bart, that wasn't very nice. You apologize to Todd right now." Homer said in a stern voice. " Sorry man." Bart said in an apologetic voice.

" It's okay. I guess I should have asked first before giving you a hug." Todd said happily. " Wanna go watch cartoons?" Bart asked. Ned was about to interject when Homer stopped him.

" Ned, I know you're trying to be a good father and all that. But, if you shelter your boys from stuff like this, they'll never be able to make friends and will grow up to be social weirdos." Ned was surprised, was his lifestyle the real reason that Rod and Todd haven't been able to make any friends. He looked over at Todd and saw he was having fun watching Itchy and Scratchy with Bart.

" Maybe you're right Homer, maybe I have been sheltering the boys too much. What can I do to help my boys make friends?" Ned asked, now concerned for his son's social skills. " It's easy Ned, take your kids to fun stuff that other families take their children to, let them stay up an hour later than their usual bedtime, and let them try candy and fast food once in a while. Also be sure to teach them about boundaries. That way, they can make friends easily. Homer said. After a few hours of socializing with their new neighbors, Ned and Todd went home.

Three months later, Homer and Marge were at the hospital anticipating the arrival of their second child. Bart was being babysat by Ned. Bart enjoyed playing with Rod and Todd and they enjoyed playing with Bart. After coming home from the hospital, Homer brought Bart up to the nursery where Marge showed Bart his new little sister, Lisa Marie Simpson. When Lisa opened her eyes, she looked up at her big brother and smiled. Bart smiled back.

The next day, everyone came to see the baby,even Patty and Selma. Homer let them come on one condition, they weren't allowed to smoke around Bart, or little Lisa. Bart tried to show his aunts a picture he had drawn but they looked down at him in disgust and told him to his face that his sister will always be his parent's favorite child and that he was a disgrace to the family. Bart crumpled up his picture and ran off to his room to cry.

Homer saw this and was furious. First he decided to go and calm Bart down then he would deal with his sisters in law. Homer walked into Bart's room and saw his son lying on his bed crying his eyes out. " Bart, don't listen to your aunts. Why don't I tell you something I told you that night after you were born. No matter life brings you, just know that your mommy and I will always love you no matter what. Just because there's a new baby in the house, it doesn't mean your mother and I love you any less. We'll always love you and your baby sister equally."

He then handed Bart his crumpled picture. Bart smiled and un-crumpled it. Homer saw it was a picture of him, Marge, and Bart holding baby Lisa in his arms. He smiled at his son who had now stopped crying. " This is a good picture son. I'll go put it on the refrigerator and then go deal with your aunts." Homer walked into the kitchen and taped Bart's drawing to the refrigerator. Then he walked into the living room and saw Patty and Selma sitting on the couch smoking away. He immediately grabbed their cigarettes from them and flushed them down the toilet in the downstairs bathroom.

" Hey?! What'd you do that for?!" the two shouted as Homer looked at them with a look of pure anger on his face. " You two honestly didn't think I didn't see what you two did to poor Bart?! All he wanted to do was show you a picture he drew of his family and you two shamed him in front of everyone! If that's the way you're gonna be to my son, then you two get out and stay out!" Homer shouted furiously. Marge came downstairs to see what the trouble was. When Homer told her how her sisters had treated Bart, she too told them to leave and not bother coming back unless they apologized to Bart.

A week later, Bart was holding Lisa in the rocking chair with Marge and Homer watching him carefully in case he accidentally dropped her. Then Lisa looked up at her big brother and did something that shocked the whole family. She said " Bart". She had just said her first word. Lisa then said " Mommy" and then said " Daddy". Homer felt like he was now the happiest man on the planet.

 **And that is the end of chapter two. Review and I will get chapter three posted.**

 **-Jedi Master 325**


	3. Checking out Schools

**Here's chapter three as promised. Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Three

Three years had passed since Lisa had said her first words. Homer and Marge decided to forgive Selma after she came by herself and apologized to Bart for the way she and Patty had treated him. Patty of course was stubborn and didn't want to apologize.

That had caused Selma to pack her bags and leave their apartment for good. Marge insisted on Selma going to a rehab clinic to do something about her smoking addiction. Selma of course agreed to this, deciding that she not only wanted to live longer, but also be a good influence on her niece and nephew.

Now Homer and Marge were looking at schools to enroll Bart in. He was five years old and would be starting Kindergarten soon. Homer had already made sure that Bart knew how to read, write, and do basic math problems. Homer wanted to make sure that Bart got a head start on his education, much like he wished he had when he was Bart's age.

Marge suggested that they try Springfield Elementary, but Homer was skeptical for he had heard that the elementary school was run-down, in terrible condition, the teachers didn't enjoy doing their jobs, and the cafeteria food was unsafe to eat. If they sent Bart there, his chances of getting into college would disappear right before his eyes. " Marge, before we enroll Bart, let's take a look at the school and see what it's like." Homer said as they dropped Bart and Lisa off with Ned and Maude.

While the kids were having fun playing monopoly and watching Itchy and Scratchy, Homer and Marge were checking out Springfield Elementary. When they walked into the building, Homer nearly vomited at the terrible stench that permeated the hallways. it smelled like as if someone died in these hallways. Plus there was the stench of cigarette smoke coming from the teachers lounge.

As they continued their tour of the school, Homer noticed that the playground was in terrible shape, The cafeteria reeked of rat droppings and moldy food, and the bus driver was currently high on drugs. " Marge, I don't want our kids to go to a lousy school like this. If they did, their chances of getting into a good college would disappear right before our very eyes. I say we forget about this dump and try another school."

Homer and Marge kept looking until they saw the school that was perfect for their children. That school was Montessori. The school was well maintained and cared for, the teachers actually enjoyed doing their jobs, and the cafeteria smelled of delicious food. " Marge, I think this is the school for our kids." Homer said smiling. " Are you sure we can afford this school Homie? It looks awfully expensive." Marge asked worriedly.

" Well, I was gonna wait till dinnertime to tell you this, but what the heck. I recently got promoted at the Nuclear Plant to Executive Supervisor. I'm now getting paid $50,000 a month Marge. So we'll be able to afford to send our kids here." Homer said proudly. " Oh Homie, that's wonderful! Let's go get Bart enrolled and then go celebrate your promotion." Marge said as she kissed her husband. Things were looking good for the Simpson Family.

 **And that is the end of chapter three. Review and I will get chapter four posted here real soon.**

 **-Jedi Master 325**


	4. Lisa's Sax

**Here's Chapter four. Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Four

It was Bart's first day of school and the little five-year-old could not wait to learn new things and make all sorts of new friends. Bart had his hair combed and was wearing a blue T-shirt with Krusty the Clown on it. Marge drove Bart to school in the family's new station wagon. As Marge and Bart walked into the school, they were greeted by a friendly woman who wore a blue blouse, purple suit jacket, a skirt with leggings, and black flats.

" Greetings. I'm Ms. Cooper, and I will be Bart's Kindergarten teacher for the year. Shall we go into the classroom?" As Marge and Bart followed Ms. Cooper into the kindergarten classroom, there was a bookshelf lined with all sorts of educational books and there were educational toys the children could play with.

Marge gave Bart a hug and said " Goodbye sweetheart, have a good day and I'll pick you up after school." As Marge left, Bart went to find his desk and a place to hang up his backpack. As class began, Bart sat down and took a pencil out of his pencil bag. " Alright class, can anyone tell me what two plus two equals?" Ms. Cooper asked as she wrote the problem on the whiteboard. Bart was the first to raise his hand. " Yes Bart?" Ms. Cooper asked. " The answer is four, ma'am." " Very good Bart, that answer is correct." She said as she wrote the answer down. After half an hour of doing math problems, the kids could do a little free play before recess.

Bart was currently at an easel painting a picture. " What are you painting Bart?" Ms. Cooper asked as she walked over to him. " I'm painting a picture of Krusty the Clown." Bart said as he put the finishing touches on his painting. " That's a very good painting Bart. I'll hang it up here so it can dry. And after school, you can take it home." Ms. Cooper said as she carefully hung up Bart's painting. Soon the Bell rung for recess.

On the playground, Bart saw a boy with blue hair, glasses, and a big nose. " Hi, I'm Bart Simpson, who are you?" Bart asked as he walked over to the boy. " I'm Milhouse Van Houten and I know who you are. My dad is your dad's assistant over at the Nuclear Plant. I liked your painting of Krusty by the way." Milhouse said as he and Bart played with toy trucks that Milhouse had brought to school.

Meanwhile, Marge was looking at Preschools to enroll Lisa in. The little three-year-old was playing with some blocks in her playpen. Marge then found the school that was perfect for a gifted child like Lisa. Miss Tillingham's School for Snotty Girls and Mama's Boys. As Marge was paying for the yearly tuition, Lisa had discovered her talent and was playing on a saxophone.

As they left the preschool, Marge saw it was 3:00 and drove to Montessori to pick up Bart. " How was you're first day of school sweetie?" Marge asked as Bart got in the car. " School was fun, and I painted a picture." Bart said as he unrolled his painting of Krusty and showed it to Marge. " That's a very nice picture sweetie." Marge said as they drove home. When they got into the house, Marge set Lisa in her booster seat and set out some milk and cookies for the kids to snack on before helping Bart with his homework.

Meanwhile at the power plant, Homer was finishing filing some paperwork when his assistant, Kirk Van Houten walked in. " You've got a call waiting for you Homer." Kirk said as he paged the call to the phone on Homer's desk. " Hello?" Homer said as finished the paperwork and put on his finished pile. " Hello homie." Marge said cheerfully on the house phone. " Hey Marge, how was Bart's first day of school?" Homer asked as he handed the finished paperwork to Mr. Smithers.

" Oh Bart's first day of school was wonderful homie. He had loads of fun and painted a nice picture of Krusty the Clown. I got Lisa enrolled into the nicest preschool and she likes to play on the saxophone." " I'll see you and the kids when I get home." Homer said as he clocked out for the day and got into his car. As Homer drove home, he stopped at the art supplies store to get an easel, paper and a paint set for Bart before going over to King Toot's music shop to buy Lisa a saxophone.

As Homer walked into the house, he could smell the delicious aroma of dinner in the air. He walked over to Marge and gave her a kiss before bending down to hug his kids. " Daddy's home and he has gifts for you two." Homer said as he handed Bart a paint set and showed him the already set up easel and paper. " Thanks dad!" Bart said excitedly as he gave his father a big hug.

" You're welcome Bart." Homer said as he playfully ruffled his son's hair before giving Lisa her shiny new saxophone. Lisa set it in her room and decided she would play it after dinner. After a delicious meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans, the family gathered in the living room and watched Lisa play her saxophone. the sound of smooth Jazz soothed everyone's soul. Soon everyone was sound asleep.

 **And that is the end of chapter four. Leave a review and I will get chapter five posted here soon.**

 **-Jedi Master 325**


	5. Lisa's Birthday

**Here's chapter five as promised. Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Five

Four years had passed since Lisa had discovered her love of the saxophone. She was seven and Bart was ten. The two enjoyed spending time with one another. Bart remembered when he had a little accident on his skateboard, Lisa had been there with a first aid kit and put a band aid on his knee after he had scraped it. He had also given Lisa the top scoop of his ice cream cone after her scoop had fallen off the cone and she had begun to cry. Bart had also helped Lisa adjust to being the middle child when their little sister Maggie was born.

Bart had celebrated his birthday months ago. He had a wonderful party with his family and friends from school. Homer had even gotten Krusty the Clown to appear at the party along with someone dressed like Radioactive Man. Bart had gotten some new paints, a few action figures, and a poster of Krusty the Clown which Krusty himself autographed. Lisa had given Bart a picture of him and her that she had drawn from crayon. Bart loved the picture and put it in his memory chest for safe keeping.

Now Lisa's birthday was coming up, Homer, Marge, and Bart were at the toy store looking to get Lisa her birthday presents. Marge picked out some new Malibu Stacy dolls while Bart got her the Malibu Stacy Dream Home. Homer grabbed some new books for Lisa to read, and he had another present for her that was gonna be a surprise. homer had actually gotten her a horse. Bart already had a horse over at the stables named Thunderbolt and he couldn't wait for him and his little sister to go riding together.

Then the day came, it was Lisa's eight birthday. Marge had ordered a custom cake from the bakery that was in the shape of a horse. Bart was helping Homer decorate the backyard for the party. Marge had also invited some of Lisa's friends from school to attend the party. She made sure to invite Milhouse, Rod, and Todd too so Bart wouldn't feel left out. Soon everyone came to the party.

Abe was the first one to show up since Homer had picked him up from the retirement home. **( And no, not the one he lives in on the show. Homer had sent his father to a better retirement home with Abe's consent of course.)** Selma was the second to arrive with her boyfriend Pete. Pete worked at the DMV too as a security guard.

Soon the party was in full swing. Bart was having fun playing with his friends while Lisa was playing with her friends Marcy, Natalie, and Roxanne. After the cake had been cut and served to everyone, Lisa opened up her presents. Abe had gotten her a microscope with some of his Social Security money, Selma and Pete had gotten her a Malibu Stacy convertible to go with the dolls that Marge had gotten her. Marcy had gotten her a horseback riding Malibu Stacy, Natalie got her the horse to go with the doll, and Roxanne had bought the stable set to complete it. The boys had gotten her a pad of paper, some crayons, and a Malibu Stacy coloring book.

Lisa then opened up Bart's gift and saw it was the Malibu Stacy Dream Home. " Oh Bart, I love it! Thank you!" Lisa said happily as she hugged her big brother. " You're welcome Sis." Bart said as he hugged her back. Marge thought it was a cute moment so she took a picture with her camera. After the party guests had left. Homer came up to Lisa and said " Now sweetie, we have one more birthday present for you, but we're gonna have to take a drive for it." Homer said as they got into the family car. Bart put a blindfold over Lisa's eyes so not to ruin the surprise.

As they arrived at the stables, Homer and Marge guided Lisa over to a stall and took the blindfold off her eyes. Lisa looked into the stall and saw a brown filly wearing a bow with a tag that said " Happy Birthday Lisa! From: Mom and Dad." Lisa hugged both her parents and said " Thank you Mom and Dad! I love it!" Lisa said as she went over to pet her new horse. " You're welcome sweetie, and you can come here to ride your horse whenever you want." Homer said smiling. " I think I'll name you Buttercup." Lisa said as Buttercup nuzzled her new owner. After arriving home, everyone turned in for the night and was soon fast asleep.

 **And that is the end of chapter five. Review and I will get chapter six posted here soon.**

 **-Jedi Master 325**


	6. Forgiveness

**Here is chapter six. Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Six

" Eight years, it has been eight years since that double crossing sister of mine left me." Patty though to herself as she discarded another cigarette. Ever since her fight with Selma eight years ago, Patty's life had gotten worse. She had recently gotten fired from the DMV after the supervisor had caught her smoking in the employee lounge. Then she had gotten evicted from her apartment after being unable to find a new job and pay the rent. Now she was currently living in a homeless shelter. Patty knew she only had herself to blame for all that had happened to her. She still remembered her fight with Selma as if it were yesterday.

 _Flashback_

 _" Hey Selma, what's eating you? We're watching an episode of MacGyver and you're not swooning over him with me." Patty said as she lit a cigarette._

 _"I don't know Patty, I can't help but think that maybe we should go back and apologize to Bart for the way we treated him. He may be Homer's son, but he's Marge's son too, and I don't want Marge hating me for the rest of my life." Selma said, hoping her sister would agree with her._

 _" Have you lost it Selma?! Why should we apologize?! Marge should see that her son is gonna turn out to be a disgrace like his father is." Patty said as she turned her attention back to MacGyver._

 _" Well I'm gonna go over to apologize to Bart whether you like it or not!" Selma said as she was getting ready to leave._

 _" If you do that, don't bother coming back here!"_

 _Selma then turned around, headed into their bedroom, and packed up all her belongings. As she opened the door, she looked back at her sister and said " Goodbye Patty, I can see that smoking has not only poisoned your lungs, but also your heart as well.". With that said, Selma was gone._

 _End Flashback._

Patty had felt nothing but pain and regret ever since. " Maybe Selma was right, I have let smoking not only poison my lungs, but also my heart as well. Perhaps if I swallow my pride and go apologize to Bart, maybe everyone will forgive me." Patty thought to herself as she collected her stuff and was heading out. As she passed a nearby trash can, she opened up her purse and tossed all her cigarettes into the trash. Then using the last of her money, she hailed for a cab and had it take her to the Simpsons residence. After arriving at the Simpson residence, she walked up to the door and knocked.

Marge answered the door and was surprised to see Patty standing there, looking defeated and broken down. " Patty, what brings you here?" Marge said, surprised to see her sister after eight years. " Marge, I know you and Homer must still hate me after how I treated Bart so cruelly, but after losing my job and my apartment, I've decided to swallow my pride and come apologize. So please Marge, I'm asking, no I'm begging for you to forgive me!" Patty cried as she got down on her knees.  
Marge stood there silently, she was unsure of what to do.

Patty then saw Bart standing there. She looked at him apologetically and said " Bart, I'm sorry for the way I treated you eight years ago. Can you ever forgive me?" Much to her surprise, Bart hugged her and said " Of course I forgive you Aunt Patty. I've learned to forgive people for their mistakes rather than hate them for it." Marge smiled at Patty and said " Let's get you inside and I'll set up the guest room for you."

After learning that Patty had come to her senses and apologized to Bart, Selma decided to forgive her sister as well. Patty stayed with Selma and Pete until she could get a job and find a new place to live. At both Marge and Selma's suggestion, Patty went to the same rehab clinic and finally quit smoking for good. She decided to go to med school and not only get her Bachelor's Degree but also her Medical degree. She wanted to help the smokers with their addiction problems and help them turn their life around. Patty had to work part time at the Library to pay for her schooling, but it was worth it.

After getting her Bachelor's Degree and Medical Degree, Patty got her license and applied for work at the rehab clinic. She worked in the smoking section of the rehab clinic and went by Dr. Bouvier. Patty then found true love too. Since she was a lesbian, Patty dated Dr. Nancy Carson, one of the female doctors that worked with drug addicts. Nancy was also a lesbian and hit it off with Patty right away. Patty then moved out of Selma and Pete's place and moved in with her girlfriend. Then they were guests at Selma and Pete's wedding before tying the knot themselves a year later.

 **And that is the end of chapter six. Review and I will get chapter seven posted soon.**

 **\- Jedi Master 325**


	7. The Art and Science Expo

**Here's chapter seven. Enjoy! :)**

It was another morning at the Simpsons residence and there was no school that day. Marge was cooking breakfast while Homer was reading the paper. Suddenly he spotted an interesting article in the paper. " Hey Marge, look at this. There's a junior science expo and and an art show this weekend. This looks like something Bart and Lisa should do." Homer said as he finished the last of his coffee.

" Already way ahead of you dad." Bart said as he came in carrying his finished masterpiece, which was a painting of an overhead view of Springfield. It had taken Bart six months to paint it.

" And I have my invention ready for the science expo. It's an automated recycling machine. It can turn scraps of food into a fertilizing compost for plants, sort and melt down aluminum, plastic, and even glass and turns them into useful objects. Dad, can I use some empty beer cans to demonstrate?"

Homer took some empty cans of Duff Beer out of the recycling bin and loaded them into Lisa's machine. The machine melted the empty beer cans and out came a shiny new gardening shove blade.

" Wow Lisa, your invention works. I bet you'll get first place in the science expo." Bart said as he finished his breakfast.

" Thanks Bart, and I bet you'll get a blue ribbon for your painting." Lisa said as they went into the living room to watch Itchy and Scratchy. Homer carefully loaded Lisa's invention into the family car and made sure it was secure before placing Bart's painting inside a box lined with bubble wrap and placed it in the car next.

Then the day came. Homer wore a suit and tie and had his hair neatly combed. Marge wore a nice dark blue dress with her pearls. Bart also wore a suit and tie and had his hair neatly combed too. Lisa wore a nice pink dress and wore a bow in her hair. As they arrived at the expo, they were greeted by Selma and Pete along with their newly adopted daughter, Ling. Selma and Pete were unable to have children of their own due to Selma's previous years of heavy smoking, so they adopted Ling from an orphanage in China. Patty and Nancy were busy at the rehab clinic so they were unable to come. Selma promised them that she and Pete would video tape both of the kids when they won.

As they entered the building, Lisa took her invention over to the science expo with Marge and Selma while Bart went over to the art show with Homer and Pete. As Lisa was getting her invention set up, she heard an all too familiar snobbish call out " Here to claim another trophy again Lisa?" Lisa turned around and saw none other than Martin Prince, the snobbish, stuck-up teacher's pet of fourth grade at Springfield Elementary.

" You're just jealous Martin. It's not my fault that I win every year." Lisa said as she finished setting up her booth.

" Well I hope you brought enough tissues to cry your eyes out with when I win that trophy and I hope the same goes for your loser of a brother." Martin said as he walked away. Lisa groaned in annoyance, that snob needed to be taken down a peg or two. Soon the time came for the judges to determine who the winner would be. As the judges were examining Martin's invention which was a generator and about to announce him as the winner, Homer noticed there was a strange green glow coming from inside the machine.

" Uhh, pardon me Judge. But there seems to be a strange glow coming from inside Martin's Generator. You might want to take a peek inside." Homer said, knowing very well that the green glow was nuclear material. The judge opened up the control panel of Martin's invention and gasped in shock. The main power source of Martin's invention were rods of Uranium. The same rods that had gone missing from the Nuclear Plant a week ago.

" Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm afraid Martin Prince has been disqualified due to the use of hazardous material in his invention. The winner by default is Lisa Simpson and her automated recycling machine." The judge said as he handed Lisa the trophy and a check of $50,000 for her college fund. Martin hung his head in shame and walked off stage while a hazmat team confiscated his invention.

Later that afternoon was the art show. As Marge, Homer, and Lisa were walking around and admiring the artwork, they saw a crowd of people admiring Bart's masterpiece, most of the crowd was the judges. Homer, Marge, and Lisa cheered as the judge handed Bart a blue ribbon for his painting along with a check for $10,000.

" Oh, we're so proud of you two." Marge said happily as she gave her two children a big hug.

" Come on everyone, we're going out to celebrate with some frosty chocolate milkshakes. And on Monday, I'll go to the bank and deposit these checks into your guys' college funds." Homer said proudly as they got into the car and drove off to the malt shop. Later that night, Lisa was dreaming of going off to Harvard to become an environmental scientist while Bart dreamed of becoming a famous artist while doing customized bikes and skateboards on the side.

 **And that is the end of chapter seven. Review and I will get chapter eight posted here soon.**

 **-Jedi Master 325**


	8. The Divorce Part 01

**Here's chapter Eight. Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Eight

It was the Fourth of July and the Simpson family was throwing their annual Fourth of July Barbecue. Homer was manning the grill with Ned's help while Marge and Maude worked on the side dishes in the kitchen. Bart and Lisa were setting up games in the backyard for all the kids to play. The first guests to were Reverend LoveJoy and his wife Helen followed by Dr. Hibbert and his family, and finally the Van Houtens.

Soon the Barbecue was in full swing. The kids were playing fun games like pin the torch on the Statue of Liberty and getting their faces painted in patriotic colors by Bart. Homer and Ned were grilling hamburgers and hotdogs while enjoying Ned's homemade beer. Now Homer was careful with his alcohol consumption as he did not want to end up like his friend Barney Gumble who was the town alcoholic.

After the Barbecue was over, Homer and Ned were cleaning up the backyard when they heard what sounded like two people yelling at each other. Walking up to the front of the house, Homer and Ned saw Kirk Van Houten and his wife Luann fighting. " Hey, what's going on here Kirk?" Homer asked as he stepped in between the bickering couple.

" Luann doesn't treat me with any respect. Even when I have a good paying job, she still treats me like I'm nothing but dirt." Kirk said, glaring at his wife. " Kirk, you may have a job at the power plant, but you're nothing but a lowly assistant, and that's all you'll ever be." Luann said, not even looking at her husband. Homer was shocked, a wife was suppose to love and support her husband no matter what. At least, that's how it was with him and Marge.

" Another thing that's got me mad Homer is that Luann hasn't been faithful to me or our marriage. Just days ago, I was gonna surprise Luann by taking her out to lunch and I found out she's been cheating on me with her yoga instructor, Brian." Kirk said angrily.

" Well Brian gives me the kind of satisfaction I deserve. He's better looking than you, and he's gets paid way much more than you ever will. I need a man who deserves my love and respect, and you're not one of them." Luann said bitterly.

Homer was shocked and outraged. Sure, he and Marge ended having a shotgun wedding due to him getting her pregnant. But Marge still loved Homer to this very day. " You know something Luann. You're wrong about Kirk not deserving your love and respect, it's you who don't deserve his. Kirk is a good, hard working man who works hard all day to put food on the table and send his son to a good school. He's even had to sacrifice going out with his friends at night to take care of Milhouse, because you've been neglecting you're duties as a wife and a mother just so you could go and meet your secret lover. People like you disgust me." Homer said as he went back inside.

Kirk glared at Luann, " He's right Luann. And I'm sick and tired of being your litte doormat. I want a divorce, and I want full custody of Milhouse. I don't want him being raised by a negligent bitch like you. I suggest you go home and pack you're bags, because I want you out of the house by tomorrow." Kirk said angrily as he stormed back into the Simpsons house.

 **And that's the end of chapter eight. Leave a review and I will get chapter nine posted.**

 **-Jedi Master 325**


	9. The Divorce Part 02

**Here's chapter nine. Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Nine

The next day, Kirk had Marge watch Milhouse for him while He and Homer went to the Springfield Law firm to get Kirk a lawyer for the divorce settlement. " Thanks for having Marge babysit Milhouse for me Homer. It's tough trying to find a babysitter at the last minute." Kirk said as they walked into the building. " Hey, it's no problem at all Kirk. with this divorce looming over you like a dark shadow, it's tough to do everything yourself." Homer said, reassuring Kirk a little.

Meanwhile at the Simpson's house, Milhouse was feeling depressed. His parents were getting a divorce, and like all kids who have gone through this sort of thing, he felt like it was his fault. " Hey Milhouse, wanna come watch Itchy and Scratchy with us?" Bart asked as he felt like his best friend needed some cheering up. " No thanks Bart, I just wanna be alone right now." Milhouse said glumly.

" Look Milhouse, I know it's bad that your parents are getting divorced, but none of it is your fault. Your mom was pretty much treating your dad like crap, and he finally got tired of it. That's why he's getting a divorce." Bart said. Milhouse smiled a little. " You're right Bart, let's go and watch some cartoons." He said as he raced Bart to the couch. Bart was glad his little pep talk worked.

Back at the Law firm, Homer and Kirk were finishing the discussion with the lawyer. " Do not worry Mr. Van Houten. With these papers signed, I can assure you that you will not only be getting full custody of your son, but you will also be getting 50% of your soon-to-be ex-wife's income to compensate for her year's of neglect towards your son. I look forward to seeing you again for the divorce finalization." The lawyer said as he got up and shook Kirk's hand.

After a grueling month of in-and-out court hearings, The divorce was finalized. Kirk was granted full custody of Milhouse while Luann was left with nothing. Not only did she have to give Kirk 50% of her income,she also wasn't allowed anywhere near Milhouse without supervision. Finally, Luann pretty much snapped after she caught Brian cheating on her with a lifeguard from the public pool and attempted to murder him. The police had her hauled off to the local mental hospital and that was the end of that drama.

 **And that's the end of chapter nine. Leave a review and I will get chapter ten posted soon.**

 **-Jedi Master 325**


	10. Krusty Gets Busted

**Here is chapter ten. Enjoy! :)**

It was another day in Springfield. Bart, Lisa, and Maggie were watching Krusty the Clown on Tv. They laughed as Krusty attempted to launch Sideshow Bob out of a cannon without success. As Sideshow Bob fell to the floor, he was quietly plotting his revenge for all the years that Krusty humiliated him on Tv.

Meanwhile, Homer was punching out for the day. As he was heading home, he decided to make a quick stop at the Kwik-E-Mart for something to snack on. As Homer entered the Kwik-E-Mart, he saw Krusty the Clown heating a burrito in the microwave. " That's odd, Krusty has a PaceMaker, doesn't he know that using a microwave is dangerous." Homer thought to himself. As he was grabbing a case of Duff, Homer saw Krusty robbing Apu at gunpoint. Thinking fast, Homer quietly snuck up behind Krusty and conked him on the head with the case of duff.

Krusty quickly dropped the gun, which fell on his foot, and the bag of money and fled the Kwik-E-Mart. Homer was shocked and knew that his kids were gonna be heartbroken over the news. Especially Bart, since Krusty was his hero. As Homer paid for his purchases, he saw Apu talking to the police and giving them the detailed information about the attempted robbery. After getting home, Homer saw the family gathered around the Tv. They had clearly seen the news report about Krusty robbing the Kwik-E-Mart and his later arrest. Poor Bart looked heartbroken.

Later, after Krusty was found guilty at his trial. Homer, Bart, and Lisa were doing a little investigation to prove that Krusty was innocent. After realizing that the Krusty who robbed the Kwik-E-Mart had not only used a microwave despite having a Pacemaker, but he was also reading the Springfield Review of Books. It was stated at the trial that the real Krusty was illiterate. This proved that Krusty had been framed. The trio decided to go see Sideshow Bob who was now running Krusty's show.

As Bob was talking to Bart and Homer about the whole ordeal with Krusty's incarceration. He mentioned that he had some big shoes to fill. That's when it hit Bart and Homer. When the Krusty who robbed the Kwik-E-Mart dropped the gun in his hand, it had landed on his foot. And when Krusty was going into his trial, Bart and Homer had both noticed that Krusty's feet were normal sized like any other person. Whereas Sideshow Bob's feet were bigger than normal, big enough to fill a floppy shoe.

" Wait a minute! You did it!" Bart shouted as he took the microphone out of Bob's hand. " Excuse me?!" Bob said in complete shock. " Attention fellow children and citizens of Springfield. Krusty didn't rob that store, Sideshow Bob framed him and we have proof." Bart said as he took a mallet and slammed it down on Bob's foot. the latter immediately howled in pain. " Krusty has normal feet like all good people whereas Sideshow Bob filled his shoes with big ugly feet." Homer said as he pulled one of the floppy shoes off to reveal Bob's long foot.

Later, as Bob was being arrested. He looked at Both Bart and Homer and said to them " I'll get you two for this. Mark my words, you and your father will pay dearly for ruining my plans Bart Simpson!" Bob shouted as he was tossed in the paddy wagon. Afterwards, Krusty was freed from prison and thanked Bart and Homer for not only saving him from jail, but also for believing that he was innocent all along. Meanwhile over in Springfield Prison, Bob was currently plotting his revenge.

 **And that is the end of chapter ten. Leave a review and I will get chapter eleven posted here soon.**

 **-Jedi Master 325**


	11. Lisa's Substitute

**Here's chapter eleven. Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Eleven

It was another day at Montessori. As Lisa walked into the classroom, she saw that her 2nd grade teacher. Mrs. Peterson wasn't at her desk.

" Hey, where's Mrs. Peterson at?" Lisa asked her friend Roxanne as they sat at their desks.

" She's home sick with the flu, we're getting a substitute teacher today." Roxanne said as she and Lisa each took out some paper and a pencil.

The principal then walked into the classroom with a man who was dressed like a cowboy.

" Class, this is Mr. Bergstrom. He will be substituting for Mrs. Peterson until she gets better." The principal said briefly as he walked out of the classroom.

As Mr. Bergstrom went about doing the daily lessons, Lisa was smitten by his teaching methods and the way he made learning fun.

Meanwhile, Bart's teacher, Mr. Olbertson was talking to the class about the upcoming election for a class president. Bart was interested in running for class president. His opponent was the equally snobbish and stuck-up cousin of Martin Prince, Nathan Prince.

" I wouldn't even bother trying to run for Class President if I were you Simpson. Everyone here knows that I'll be the victor." Nathan said arrogantly, which made Bart's blood begin to boil, but he quickly calmed himself by mentally reminding himself that Nathan was just being a stuck-up jerk.

" What makes you think that you'll win?" Milhouse asked Nathan who turned and looked at him with a smug look on his snobbish face.

" Because I am the smartest boy in the entire fourth grade. I see Bart here as nothing more than an incompetent loser who will one day end up being my chauffeur." Nathan said gloatingly as he walked out of the classroom.

" If that snobbish jerk thinks he's gonna win this election, he's got another thing coming." Bart told Milhouse as they walked to the cafeteria.

Later that night at dinner, Bart was telling everyone about his interest in running for Class President. Homer congratulated him and promised to help him with his campaign before turning to listen to Lisa talk about how her substitute was such a great teacher. Lisa then asked Homer if he could take her to the Natural History Museum tomorrow, to which he said yes.

The next day, Homer took Lisa to the museum. Once there, he paid for the admission fee and slipped a fifty dollar bill into the donation box. As they were walking over to the dinosaur exhibit, they ran into Mr. Bergstrom.

" Hi Mr. Bergstrom." Lisa said happily. Mr. Bergstrom smiled warmly at her.

" It's good to see you here Lisa, and this must be your father." Mr. Bergstrom said, looking at Homer.

" Homer Simpson. It's nice to meet you Mr. Bergstrom, Lisa told me all about you." Homer said as he shook Mr. Bergstrom's hand.

As they explored the different exhibits, Mr. Bergstrom saw that Homer was being an excellent father and male role model for Lisa. As they left the Museum, Lisa told Homer that they should have Mr. Bergstrom over for dinner one night, and Homer thought that was an excellent idea.

Soon the day came for the class president election. After everyone casted their votes, Nathan was both shocked and horrified to see that Bart had beaten him by a landslide. Nathan began to protest by demanding a recount, but Mr. Olbertson told him to pipe down or he would have to send him to the Principal's office.

Meanwhile Lisa was walking to her class hoping to see Mr. Bergstrom and invite him to dinner. As she walked into the classroom, Lisa was shocked to see her teacher, Mrs. Peterson instead. As the class started, Lisa did her best to conceal the sad and disappointed look on her face.

After school, Lisa headed to Mr. Bergstrom's apartment only to learn from one of the residents that he had already moved out that morning and was taking a new job in Capital City.  
As she arrived at the train station, she saw Mr. Bergstrom getting ready to board the train when she called out to him.

" Mr. Bergstrom, please don't go! You're the best teacher I've ever had!" Lisa cried as Mr. Bergstrom got down to her level.

"Lisa, I know, you don't want me to leave. But the life of a substitute teacher is transient, and I have to go help the more needy people out there. Besides, you have a wonderful father who is a great role model for you. And I can already see that you're going to go on to do amazing things with your life."  
He then wrote something down on a piece of paper and handed it to Lisa.

" Whenever you feel like you're alone or unsure about yourself, just read this and it'll tell you all you need to know." With that, Mr. Bergstrom boarded the train and left. Lisa looked at the note and saw that it said " You are Lisa Simpson."

Later at dinner, Homer was congratulating Bart on becoming Class President when he saw that Lisa was looking really sad.

" Lisa honey, are you okay?" Homer said in a concerned tone. Lisa looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

" Mr. Bergstrom left today Dad, he's gone!" Lisa cried. Homer was immediately at her side to comfort her.

" Oh Lisa, I may not know what it's like to lose someone special, but I can tell you that Mr. Bergstrom isn't gone forever. He'll be back someday. In the meantime, you have that little note he wrote you to give you hope for the depressing moments of your life." Homer said, hoping that would cheer her up.

Lisa smiled at her dad's encouraging words of comfort. Homer was happy that he was able to cheer up Lisa. He was such an amazing father.

 **And that is the end of chapter eleven. Leave a review and I will get chapter twelve posted here soon.**

 **-Jedi Master 325**


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